Scotland miss out on World Twenty20 cricket finals

Michael Leask notched a century but it wasn't enough to see off Holland. Picture: Getty

Scotland lost both openers, Richie Berrington and Calum MacLeod, for ducks before Matt Machan and Michael Leask’s century stand helped them gain a fighting chance by posting a total of 147 for six.

Neil Carter bowled Dutch opener Stephan Myburgh for a duck but Wesley Barresi’s unbeaten 75 steered Holland to a place in next year’s tournament in Bangladesh.

Scotland had beaten Holland last week on their way to a fourth-place finish in their qualifying section and set up the play-off with victory over Italy on Wednesday.

They elected to bat but their innings got off to the worst possible start. Berrington was bowled by Tim Gruijters as he tried to sweep and MacLeod was beaten by the first ball he faced, from Mudassar Bukhari.

Scotland’s next partnership fared a lot better with Leask reaching his half-century with consecutive sixes and moving the innings beyond the 100-mark in the process in the 14th over.

Leask was caught out on the boundary by Ben Cooper for 58 runs while Machan, the qualifying tournament’s top scorer, secured his fourth half-century of the United Arab Emirates event before being caught out for 61 by Gruijters in the 18th over.

Kyle Coetzer and Rob Taylor both managed seven as Scotland failed to get close enough to the 165 total they posted against Holland last Friday.

Neil Carter gave them impetus by bowling out Myburgh with the fourth ball of their attack but that proved a false dawn.

Holland steadily marched towards their total, reaching 40 after five overs and 83 after 10, not long after Matthew Cross stumped Ben Cooper (40) off the bowling of Majid Haq.

That proved the final wicket of the innings though as Michael Swart weighed in with an unbeaten 30 and Wesley Barresi struck nine boundaries, including a final four that took Holland to 149 for two in the 18th over.